Price You Pay Podcast | Season 4 Episode 5

A 14-year-old trains like an elite athlete, then goes back to Year 9 homework. That’s the reality for Isabella “Bella” Crosbie, an artistic swimmer (formerly synchronised swimming) on the 2026 Australian Youth Training Squad, and it’s only half the story. We talk with Bella and her mum, Carissa, about what a real training week looks like, from club sessions and high performance hours to the unglamorous nightly stretching and strength work that builds results over time. If you’ve ever wondered how artistic swimming athletes prepare, Bella breaks down the land work, the “land routine” practice, and the mindset that keeps her consistent.

Carissa takes us back to the beginning, when Bella was so shy she avoided school performances and needed a teacher beside her just to participate. Sport became a confidence plan before it became a high performance pathway. We explore how team culture, coaching support, and friendships helped Bella move from fear to excitement, including a remarkable twist where she met a “cousin” through the sport and discovered they really were family. It’s a candid look at youth sport psychology, confidence building, and managing competition nerves when the stakes keep rising.

Then we get honest about athlete funding and the price families pay to keep Olympic dreams alive. With interstate travel for Australian Institute of Sport camps in Canberra, national championships, and international competition, costs escalate fast. Carissa shares what it takes to fund the dream while working full-time, volunteering, fundraising, and even running a dog-sitting side hustle, plus how programs like the Aussie Athlete Fund and Elevate 32 help athletes learn sponsorship, social media, and storytelling skills. If you care about Australian athletes and the road to Brisbane 2032, hit follow, share this with a friend, and leave a review so these stories travel further.